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The silence stretched between Runner Five and the doctor like a living, breathing, palpable thing. Five had never been good at these things; what was the proper response when someone's world had just been flipped upside down and shaken? Heartfelt discussions, small talk?
("So, your girlfriend may not be undead, eh?" Remember all that time you spent crying over Paula's CD? I guess she was really ok!" "How well did you know Van Ark? You know, before he became a zombie.")
Five had no idea how to even start, and so she sat in silence, studiously staring at the ground in front of her, while Maxine finished writing out the medical portion of the mission report. Runner Eight had already been through and left, and yet Runner Five was still lingering in the hospital, without really knowing why.
- - -
There are two types of people in the world.
When their life comes crashing down around them,there are the people who prefer to be left alone. Lick their own wounds, cry their own tears, mend their own broken heart. These people are independent and fiercely proud. Stoic. And then there are those people who prefer to surround themselves with others. From previous experience with the doctor, Runner Five knew that Maxine fell solidly into the second camp.
After coming home from her decoy mission - the one that Sam and Maxine had set up to allow the doctor to listen to Paula's CD - Five had went straight to Sam's comms shack to return her tech. She was surprised to find Maxine still in the room with Sam; the recording was playing for the third (or was it fourth?) time, as both of the room's occupants sat in silence, tears streaming down Maxine's face. Sam had pulled his chair up close to Maxine's - closer than they normally sat during missions - and his arm was thrown over her shoulder, providing an awkward but heartfelt brand of comfort. Both Sam and Maxine jumped when Five entered the room, but they didn't move away from each other. When Five started to apologize and back out of the room, the doctor just gave her a small teary smile and said softly, "Stay. Please."
Runner Five remembered that day now, as she sat awkwardly on the hospital cot and tried not to watch Maxine going about her job. Those weeks of covert missions had brought the three of them closer together; how could it not? Runner Five had been the only runner that Sam trusted to carry out the doctor's missions, and the three of them had huddled in the comms shack for hours, comparing notes and trying to piece together the truth about the outbreak.
After weeks of late nights and stressful missions, they had all needed a break. When Janine had suggested an entertainment supply run, Sam had jumped at the chance and gathered Runner Five and Maxine to assist. Despite the inevitable sprint for her life from the hoards of the undead, Runner Five had fun out there that day, her and Sam and Maxine teasing each other and laughing. The entertainment supply run had led to a Demons and Darkness night whenever they could all be spared a night off to just have fun together. Who knew that there could still be fun and laughter and friends, even after the apocalypse?
- - -
This was still beyond Runner Five's comfort zone.
Five was startled out of her thoughts by the doctor sitting down on the cot next to her with a sigh. "We're done here, Five. You can go, now."
She still paused, before awkwardly beginning to ask, "Are you sure? I can stay, if..." She was saved from having to finish her thoughts by a knock on the door.
Sam entered the hospital without waiting for a response. "How is everyone doing?" He was looking at Runner Five as he spoke, but there was something in his voice that belied his further concern.
"Runner Five is just fine. She had a long, fast run - as you know - but nothing more pressing than some scratches... and she'll probably be a bit stiff in the morning. No bites, nothing to worry about." Maxine gave a small smile to Five as she spoke.
"And you? How are you handling...?' He gave the doctor a pointed look.
Maxine sighed. "I don't know how to process the idea that Paula could still be alive. I just... can't. I can't think about it."
Sam came closer and took a seat on the cot that the two women were occupying. He reached his hand up gently to touch Maxine's chin, urging her to look up at him. "When you want to talk about it, we'll be here to listen, ok?" Maxine nodded, almost imperceptibly.
The silence stretched between the three of them. Five, Maxine, and Sam, in a line - shoulders just barely touching. Each taking strength from the others, after what had proved to be an emotionally exhausting day for all of them.
All three jumped in unison as the silence was broken by the hospital door swinging open with a bang. Runner Eight strode through the door with her usual air of purpose and confidence.
She walked up to Five and stopped to fish a tennis ball out of her pocket, dropping it on the woman's lap. Five looked up at her questioningly. "Put it under your calf and roll it back and forth; you have to do it a few times a day, but that muscle will loosen right back up. It won't give you any more problems."
The doctor snapped her head up and looked sharply at Runner Five. "You didn't say anything about-"
"Don't fuss over it, Maxine dear. Us runners need to know how to take care of our own aches and strains. It was that way even before the apocalypse." She gave a wink at Five. "Best start on it right now, before it has a chance to stiffen up."
Runner Five obediently slid off of the cot and on to the floor, to start working on her tense calf muscle. She had gotten the chance to chat with Sara while they had waited on the water tower for their runner "cavalry" to arrive to rescue them. Despite their rocky start, Five had come to respect Runner Eight - both as an experienced runner and survivor, and as an ally - and dare she say it, friend. Their conversation today hadn't shifted into their normal territory of military plots and warring factions, but had instead stayed in the realm of normal chit-chat. The art of running, how to best take out a zom without attracting attention, preferred weapons. Runner Five almost laughed out loud at the idea that was considered light small talk now.
Sara slid wordlessly into the space that Five had just vacated, and produced something else from inside her light jacket. Sam's jaw dropped. "Whisky? Where did you get whisky? Wait, I don't even want to know your secrets. That's just asking for death at the end of a billy club"
Sara laughed. "I thought everyone here could use a drink after today. I know I need one." She pulled out four glasses that she had pilfered from the mess area and started to pour. She reached down to hand one glass to Five, still seated on the floor with the tennis ball under her leg. Runner Eight held her own glass up in a wordless toast before taking a sip.
Sam took a sip from his glass and made a face, sputtering. "I'm more of a beer guy, myself."
"Oh really? I've heard some tequila stories from Simon..." Maxine shot Sam an innocent grin. Five gave a quiet snort, and even Eight looked amused.
"What have you - what has Simon been saying about me?" Sam looked a bit nervous. "It was just that one night...."
Maxine started to open her mouth to tell Sam exactly the type of things that Runner Three had been sharing, when Sara began to speak.
"We're all going to need to talk about the things that Van Ark said today." Her gaze swung straight over to Maxine. "Whether we do it tonight is up to you."
Maxine clutched her glass harder, and brought it up to her mouth to take a sip that turned into her downing the contents in one smooth gulp. She opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it again and took a deep breath. "Can we do this later? I need time to... I just need time."
Sara nodded and leaned over to refill Maxine's empty glass. "Of course, my dear." The soft look on her face suddenly turned evil. "In that case, then I'd like to hear these stories about Mr. Yao's unfortunate relationship with tequila..."
- - -
It was a couple hours and several rounds later, when Sam slid down off the cot, and on to the floor next to Runner Five. He wobbled a bit as he landed, which was an impressive feat for someone sitting on the ground. "You've been quiet tonight." He reached out and gently, tentatively, took her hand in his. The whisky had made him louder - a bit more outgoing - but he was still Sam Yao. "What's going through your head?"
Five sighed, and gave a quick glance to their companions. Sara was telling Maxine some elaborate story that evidently involved.... a sword? Or maybe it was a baseball bat? Some unfortunate creature was losing a head, in any case. "Today was just.... intense. That zombie got Van Ark right in front of us. Runner Eight was handcuffed to him. It could have been either of us." She lowered her voice. "And hearing Van Ark talking about Paula.... I don't know how Maxine isn't losing it right now."
Sam snuck a look at the other women, as well. "She's strong, we know that. And when she's ready to confront what we've learned.... we'll be there."
Five sighed again and carefully lowered her head on to Sam's shoulder. She looked up at him questioningly, and he reassured her with a quick squeeze to her hand. "I'm glad that I ended up here, at Abel. There wasn't anyone at Mullins that I could rely on, or just talk to. I'm glad that I found you guys.... You."
She could almost feel the surprise in Sam's posture, from her admission. It was no secret among the runners that Runner Five wasn't the chattiest of people. In fact, Five was almost surprised, herself. Sam didn't answer verbally, but he let go of her hand, only to bring his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
She and Sam sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, listening to Sara finish up the end of her story. Five's eyes began to droop as the day caught up with her, and she nodded slightly, leaning more into Sam's warm, solid body.
Runner Five snapped awake as Sara stood up. "Well, it looks like it's time for sleep. You lovebirds look like you need to head off to bed." Sam tensed and flushed. "I was implying your own beds, Sam, but you two can do whatever you like." She grinned and gave Five a wink.
Maxine stood and stretched, wobbling a bit as she did so. Runner Eight caught her elbow and hooked her arm through the doctor's, starting to lead her out of the hospital. "And no arguments from you! You are not sleeping at your desk tonight!" Maxine's feeble defense could be heard mixing with Sara's tutting over no one being able to handle their alcohol anymore, as they headed out into the night.
And then Runner Five and Sam were alone.
The runner and the operator shared awkward smiles for a second, before Sam suddenly bridged the distance between the two, pulling Five against his chest. He held her tightly for a moment, arms wrapped around her back and his face buried in her hair. Five let out a deep breath that she didn't know that she had been holding; she could feel the tension draining from her body as he held her.
"Thank you," Sam said quietly into her hair. "Thank you for being here. For me, for Maxine, for all of us."
Five gave him a squeeze in response and they stayed there for another moment, before Sam pulled away. "C'mon, Five, I'll walk you to your tent. You're falling asleep standing up and there's going to be a lot to go over tomorrow."
As they exited the hospital and started to walk toward's Abel's residence area, Sam reached out and again slipped his hand into hers.
Runner Five had found the people that she could depend on. And that was enough for tonight.